colonoscopy at 18 - Cancer: Colon Message Board

lazidaze143 · 04-11-2005, 11:41 AM

Help me please....I guess i will start out with my history...I am 18. I have had kidney stones for 3 years now.Right now i have multiple in both kidneys. My ureters are swollen so i am having surgery to correct it next month.Well my urologist sent me to all kind of specialists cuz he is stumped on why im forming stones. One Dr.was the gasrtoenterologist.It started out as a simple consultation...And heres what happened i had to answer all these questions and I actually felt comfterable with this DR.and had no problems replying with honest answers... I have blood in my stool almost constantly and other symptoms. So she had bloodwork done on me that day for SED rate, CBC, and celiac screening.I also am having a colonosopy with biopsys done on june 17th they r putting me completely asleep. I am shceduled april 20th for a abdominal ultrasound to look around and see if they can see anything before my colonoscopy My urologist did a renal ultrasound and noted i have a enlarged spleen...The gastroeneterologist asked if i had ever had mono which i havent... i told her that i get low grade fevers for no reason and for the past yr.i have had a lymph node in my neck that wont go away it just sits there not hurting. I told her i told my family dr.about this constantly over the past yr.and he says it is from infection and puts me on antibiotics it never gos away. She seemed concerned about that. She was very sweet and helpful and explained everything to me she put me on metamucil till i go back to see her.I was wondering though. I am scared of the colonoscopy... How long is the recovery and will i need to take tylenol for the pain after im home or what>i dont know what to expect from this and im very active so i want to know when i will feel liek myself again.They r doing a colonoscopy to test for chron's,ulcerative colitis, IBD, or cancer she said. And she said if it is inflammatory disorders they can treat it with antiinflammotory medication. I am just scared becasue of my lymph nodes and my enlarged spleen and unexplained fevers. I hope tey figure this out im to young for this. PLease help me

LESLIETOO · 04-11-2005, 11:53 AM

Have you had a biopsy done of that enlarged lymph node? If the biopsy results are benign and show no cancer, or inflammatory reaction; then there is an extremely rare condition called Castleman's Disease characterized by painless enlarged lymph nodes. Other symptoms can include enlarged spleen and low grade fevers.

lazidaze143 · 04-11-2005, 12:13 PM

No i have not had a biopsy done on my lymph node. I think she wants to look at my spleen again (on the 20th) see if its still enlarged and do the colonoscopy and go from those results then maybe that will tell why i get fevers and my lymph ndode is enlarged who knows....My Dr.is on top of it so im glad for that she actually cares u know? Im at the dr.s like every day... speaking of which i have to drop of a 24 hr.urine at the diagnostic center in the monring, go to my urologist to get my medical records and i have a appt.with another specialist in the morning.I went to my 2 classes this morning and i was practically falling out of my chair I almost fell alseep so i came home and im missing my last class. I am so tired all of the time i used to not be able to sleep in the middle of the day and now i can barely keep my eyes open.

Did anyone else experience that?

meggsters · 04-12-2005, 05:09 PM

There really is no recovery time after a colonoscopy. Are you being put under? They usually don't put people under. Usually they do something called concious sedation. They give you an IV that makes most people fall asleep. You may wake up in the middle of the colonoscopy, or, like most, you'll be out the whole time. The drugs are good though, you proably won't remember a thing. When I had a colonoscopy in February I slept the whole time, I don't remember a thing. I went back to work the next day. The only discomfort was a dull pain on my left side for a few days, and it was very mild. You can eat whatever you want and go on with your life immediately afterwards. The day of your colonoscopy, after you get home, you'll probably sleep most of the day from the drugs.

last1 · 04-12-2005, 07:37 PM

Also, if you have a chance to control some of the scheduling, it might be best to schedule the colonoscopy for a Monday. On Sunday, you'll take the prep in order to clean out your bowels and then on Monday you'll be set for the test. Make sure somebody drives you to and from the procedure. It will probably be done as an outpatient so you'll need the ride home. Nope, you shouldn't remember a thing and you should need any pain medications afterward. Good luck. chris